On the afternoon of Saturday, April 11, the U.S. Capitol building was on temporary lockdown after a man killed himself outside the western facade of the building. The suicide came as Washington hosted the annual Cherry Blossom Festival, with tourists flooding the city to visit the Tidal Basin and the National Mall, not far from the Capitol.
U.S. Capitol Police Chief Kim Dine identified Leo P. Thornton, a 22-year-old from Illinois, as the man who committed suicide by gunshot Saturday. A bomb squad was called to investigate a roller suitcase and a backpack near the victim but nothing threatening was retrieved, according to officials.
Dine added that, at this time, there seems to be no connection to terrorism. Thornton had a sign with him about ”social justice” but didn’t carry any other weapons aside from a gun. The lockdown downtown was lifted just before 4 p.m. the same afternoon, but the West Terrace area of the Capitol will remain closed until further notice.
